Performance estimation of a MIMO (multiple-input multiple-output) communication is typically a key component of the estimation of the state of a channel between a MIMO transmitter and a MIMO receiver. For example, post-detection SINR is a metric that is widely used as a communication (or detection) performance measure. However, the post-detection SINR cannot be derived in closed-form for nonlinear detectors such as maximum-likelihood detectors. Accordingly, approaches for determining a communication performance when using detection methods such as maximum-likelihood detection are desirable.